Thank you for speaking all of this truth. Thank you for being on this planet. Thank you for trying to figure out what it all means to you, giving you an insight into what it could mean to everyone else if we truly released our addiction to narrowness. Thank you for being not-tidy, for fighting to steady yourself in a shifting maze. For doing all of this work and then putting your thoughts together where others could learn from them.

I’m sorry that some won’t and that you haven’t been as supported nearly as well as you should have been. I’m sorry that this thoughtful, careful, honest entry won’t guarantee the support and understanding you deserve.

As a Texan, I totally hear you on the “who needs ‘em?! Let’s just dump ’em all as we head to our palatial utopias of high-mindedness!” thing, which is tiresome and short-sighted, and I also get that folks are leery of putting in work for people who don’t want to be fought for. Still, people shouldn’t write off those who need things to better nor those who would be willing to change if given a chance.

Some of us will learn, though, and I intend to be a better human being by checking against the extremely valid points you’ve made here.

Hoping you find some ease along your path.